Mosaic Tiles
by ryder77
Summary: "Mosaic tiles, one by one, fall into place to form an image; just like our hello's and goodbye's." The daughter. The mother. The grandmother. The guest. They each carry pieces to the same story. How do they come together? How will the story end? [BONUS CHAPTER UP!] With ocassional updates to the Afterword.
1. 01 - The Daughter

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

 _ **01 - The Daughter**_

* * *

That was weird.

She watched as their mysterious last-minute guest left their home. The man was a stranger to her, but both her mother and grandmother treated him like an old friend.

Her thoughts went back to the hour previous. Her grandmother's centennial birthday party had ended hours ago, and the last of their guests even left over half an hour earlier. She had just been holding the sponge to the (twelfth? Twentieth? Hundredth?) plate she was washing when the doorbell came ringing. She had been more than ready to dismiss it as a prank by the neighborhood kids (never mind it's already way past their bedtime. Oh, wait, it's spring break), when the bell came again.

"Shirley, honey, could you get the door, please?"

"Yes, mother," she replied. After rinsing her hands she breathed a heavy (tired) sigh and walked to their front door (genkan, her grandmother always called it, the house being in traditional Japanese architecture). Grumbling about old people not having dishwashers (we're practically in the 22nd century!), she carefully stepped out of her slippers and into her shoes (so troublesome) before finally opening the front door.

She caught their guest just about to press the doorbell again. For a moment the man's eyes widened and stared at her for some moments before she decided nobody else was going to waste her time any further.

"Yes? Can I help you," she asked in a tone that might not have been appropriate because she was speaking to someone clearly her senior, but she was too tired to care.

The man blinked once and came to his senses. "Ah, yes. Good evening, miss," he said, in a voice that would have made Shirley melt like butter over hot coals had she not been in a somewhat foul mood, "I know I'm a little late, but I'm here to see Docto-"

"Sorry," she cut in, barely letting the man finish his sentence, "the party's been over for hours, and my 'baasan needs her rest. So, I guess you'll just have to go home now."

"Please," the man said as he propped his left hand against the sliding door's handle, preventing her from closing it completely, "I've come a long way, and-"

"I'm sorry," she said as she tried to put all her body's 110-pound-weight into sliding the door closed (strange, he didn't look that strong), "but my mother said no more visitors."

The man's barely-leaning-against-the-door stance didn't change while Shirley struggled. "Please, I just need-" he paused, and had seemed embarrassed when he noted that the she was really trying hard to close the door. He sighed before speaking again,

"Is her daughter here? She knows me," he explained. "Please tell her that Mr.-"

"I told you," Shirley breathed, taking an entire second for each word. She really just wanted the man to leave. So she could finish cleaning up. So she could take a hot bath. So she could finally get some sleep! An idea struck her, and she moved to put it into action.

"No," she took a step back,

"More," another step back,

"Visitors!"

"Who is it, honey?"

Mom! Shirley just barely managed to stop before hitting the door and turn around to face her mother. "Some man," she replied, careful to not let said man know that she was speaking to her mother (though 'honey' might already have given her away). "I said the party's over, but he wouldn't leave." She wanted to leave the next part out, but she never could lie to her mother,

"He says you know him."

"Does he," her mother replied. The confused frown on her mother's face as she answered confirmed her suspicion that the man was probably lying; they weren't expecting any more guests, after all. "Did he say what his name was?" That question caught Shirley off-guard, and a little ashamed. Not only did she not give the man a chance to introduce himself, but she was even intending on bashing his (good-looking) face (at first glance that is) with the front door.

"He, um..." she began. Chewing on her bottom lip, she thought of a way to salvage the situation. As things were, whatever she said next would probably start with 'where are your manners?' and end with another 'you're a woman now' speech after their guest left. That meant she eventually wouldn't be turning in early as she had hoped. Sure, she was turning twenty-eight next month. Sure, she was an adult now and should have already known those things. Heck, she should even already be married with her own kids by now (if only that stupid, stupid Rollie didn't...!).

She was just so tired.

"Josephine Faust?"

It was their guest who spoke, and she was just saved from the latter part her ordeal. Sighing in defeat (and some relief), she stepped aside and opened the front door further to reveal him to her mother. She guessed, compared to the double whammy she just got out of, one last guest to mind wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

"Yes," her mother replied as she approached, trying to get a better look at the man's face.

"It's been a while," the man said as he removed his hat, and for the first time, Shirley took careful notice of the man's features. He seemed to be around thirty, maybe thirty-five years old, was a head taller than herself and her mother, had dark hair, and had a very carefully trimmed beard and mustache. His clothes were classy, though old-fashioned (really, those shoes? So twenty-first century). He had some wrinkles around his eyes (hard to tell the color from this light) as he smiled at her mother with... fondness. Her mother, in turn, stared at him wide-eyed and had both hands covering her mouth.

"You came," her mother finally spoke, breathlessly but clearly happy. "You really came!"

In the next moment it was Shirley's turn to stare wide-eyed when her mother embraced the man like an old friend, which the latter gladly returned as they both laughed. Maybe they really did know each other. But how? Where?

Most importantly, _when_?

"Look at you," her mother was the first to speak when they broke their embrace. "I barely recognized you."

"And you," the man replied, "still as beautiful as I remembered."

"Liar," her mother replied, feigning anger. "Some things never change."

Did her seventy-year-old mother just give the man a noogie?

"Mom?!" Shirley didn't mean to sound so scandalized, but...

"Come in! Please, please come in," her mother went on, with the man nearly stumbling while he was being pulled into the house and into the corridor leading to her grandmother's old clinic. For a moment Shirley felt ignored.

"Shirley, honey, please be a dear and bring some refreshments for our guest." Okay, moment's over.

Shirley sighed. Might as well get it over with. She closed the front door then turned to walk to the kitchens.

After some refreshments and small talk, they finally led him to the garden to see her grandmother. Shirley was surprised by the sudden energy the elderly woman had when she said "You're late!" upon meeting their guest. Curious though she was, her mother waved her back to her chores and the two were left alone.

Now, about an hour later, the man simply left. but that wasn't the weird part. She could have sworn that he seemed... older, somehow.

"You're imagining things," she spoke out loud. "Must be more tired than I thought I was."

"Honey."

It was her mother. "Yes, Mom?"

"Baachan wants to see you."

* * *

 **A/N** : This story is still not the sequel, but it is complete. I'll be posting one chapter a week, so you guys have something to look forward to. Please note that this story is independent from all my other stories.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~ryder77


	2. 02 - The Mother

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

 _ **02- The Mother**_

* * *

She couldn't believe it.

How many times had she nearly given up all hope? How many times had she found herself staying up late waiting to open the door for that special guest but ended up disappointed?

Now here he was.

"Shirley," the man broke the silence when the said girl was well out of earshot. "Your daughter, I assume?"

"Yes," Josephine answered, "and our youngest." They both walked more slowly now, as she led the man to her own mother's old office.

"I see," the man replied. "The resemblance is... uncanny."

Josephine nodded in agreement and smiled. "Amazing, isn't it? Ken said the auburn was the same as his mother's. She was bald when she was born, and it was almost her first birthday before she had enough hair for us to comb," she recalled fondly. "We almost didn't have her, you know? We had given up hope of having another child after trying so many times since our eldest was born. To think I would still give birth at age forty-two! Ken almost went crazy. Mother helped with the birth, of course."

"Her last surgery; I heard," the man informed her. "Did you choose the name?"

"No," she replied, "Mother did." She glanced at the light surprise in his face before continuing. "We were expecting another boy ― and the signs did hint to a boy ― and we didn't have a girl's name ready. Mother walked in my hospital room just as Ken was about to pull out a book on baby names, then she said we should name her Shirley."

"How is Ken? Is he here, too?"

"No," she replied. "just Shirley and I. He's in Britannia with our eldest, Naoya, taking care of the family business."

"Don't you mean 'the Company'?" the man corrected her. In the past three decades, 'Faust' had been the household name when it came to safety standards and equipment. Beginning with some minor improvements to existing standards in 2050atb, they slowly expanded to cover practically anything that could have serious accidents. Now, there wasn't a skyscraper, a car, an elevator, even a restaurant's kitchen that wasn't given a permit unless they were inspected and deemed safe by a Faust engineer. Her husband had come a long way.

Josephine laughed. "I suppose you could call it that, but everyone in it we consider part of the family." At just about that moment they reached the clinic. Josephine opened the door for the man. "I suppose you would have been keeping tabs on everyone all this time."

"No," he replied, eyes downcast, "not everyone. Not all the time."

Sensing the guilt behind those words, she put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You're here now," she told him, "and that's what matters."

"Now, come inside," she said after the man sent her a grateful look, "you can see her after you've rested a bit." The man nodded and they both entered the office.

Upon entering the door, one would get the impression that they weren't in the same house. A stark contrast to the polished wooden floors of a traditional Japanese house, the tiled floors of what used to be a clinic seemed to bring a person decades ahead in time. Glass cabinets containing tools of the medical trade ― not as polished clean as they used to ― lined one wall, and at the other end of the room was an examination bed, now covered by a slightly dusty sheet. The wall opposite the door through which they entered was curtained, and the man pulled the drawstrings to reveal a traditional Japanese garden, glowing beautifully by the dim garden lights.

The man turned away from the garden, and his gaze fell to framed photographs that lined the wall beside the door. Many were of young children.

All of them, Josephine recalled explaining once, long ago, her mother pulled from the brink of death when they were brought here. Most were paired with the picture of an adult, now. If one looked more closely, it would be noticed that the children were actually the adults in the next picture.

"Some of them were at the party earlier," she offered, "I wish you had the chance to speak with them; to hear their stories."

"And I'd probably end up telling mine," the man said with a slight laugh. "They're not the only ones who owed her their lives."

And what a tale it must be, Josephine thought. She had met the man during the aftermath of the Great Tokyo Earthquake, with no clue as to his name or where he was from. Aside from the amnesia he had at the time, how they found him and later events had suggested a greater mystery than his forgotten identity.

"How do I introduce you, by the way?" she asked before she dwelled too long in her memories. "To those who don't know you."

"Hamada," he replied. "This house knows me by that name, at least."

"Hamada it is," Josephine agreed, _because we found you near the beach_. It had been her who gave him that name. She pushed the memory aside and gestured for him to take a seat. They both took the seats in front of the doctor's desk, not daring to disturb the seat behind it.

"How has she been?"

Josephine smiled; she knew it was only a matter of time before he asked that question. "As well as can be expected," she began. "Considering she managed to stay awake for the whole of the party, everybody commented she'd live another hundred." Her expression turned worried when she spoke next. "Her mind is still sharp, but her body..." She shook her head, not trusting herself to finish that thought, yet continued. "There were more than a few close calls since Shirley turned six. In all those times she seemed even peaceful, ready to... but she came back. Every time."

"And every time, the first words she would speak were the same:

 _"Not there yet."_

Hamada's eyes widened then he suddenly stood up. "I should go to her."

"Later," Josephine stopped him, motioning for him to sit back down. "What Shirley told you earlier wasn't just an excuse to make you leave. Mother does need her rest, and so do you. You came a long way yourself," at that the door opened, "and here she is with the refreshments."

The next half-hour was spent on introductions and small talk over hastily-prepared tea and leftover birthday cake. Many times Josephine found herself reminiscing the days spent with this young man until his sudden departure. He was just like any other victim of the disaster ― lost, confused, and afraid ― yet he never let a chance to show kindness pass by. How her mother closely monitored him had led her to suspect that she would be adopting him soon (or, at least, have him stay in their home until he found his real family), so she had prepared herself to finally having the younger sibling she had always wanted.

-.o.O.o.-

With the bandages that obscured the young man's face finally removed, they would be able to post his description to help locate his family. Considering the state he was in when they brought him in, they all thought he healed up rather well.

"There are already lots of John Doe's in the registry. I say we call you 'Hamada', because we found you near the beach."

Ken laughed "Showing off your new kanji vocabulary, Jo?"

"What? It'll be easier to identify him, won't it? Instead of the John Doe from the Beach, or the John Doe from the landslide..."

"I get your point," the rookie policeman agreed, "but doesn't he at least get to say if he likes the idea? I mean, he's clearly not Japanese―"

"I don't mind," the apparent eighteen-year-old cut in. "I don't mind at all. That way I'd be the foreigner with the Japanese name, too."

Appreciating the young man's humor, Josephine clapped her hands together, "It's settled, then! Now, what do we do for his first name?"

"Le-" Josephine's thoughtful expression turned to her mother who had been silent until now. "I mean, Louis. He looks like a Louis to me."

Thus Louis Hamada was born.

-.o.O.o.-

At the time, her mother's behavior towards the boy had confused her, but upon hearing her tale after the incident that forced him to leave so suddenly, it explained a lot of things. After over fifty years, she hoped she would finally be able witness an end to that tale. She also hoped that it would not be a sad one.

She looked at her daughter. There had been a Shirley in that tale as well. She had seen the pictures her mother had, and the resemblance was indeed uncanny. Grandmother and granddaughter have always been especially close. Now she often caught the little signs of sadness and guilt in Hamada's eyes when her daughter looked away from him, and was once more made to wonder if she was indeed the same Shirley come back to life, and what this... reunion... would mean to her family.

In retrospect, Hamada's appearance both nearly destroyed and further strengthened her relationship with her then-fiancé. How Ken found him caused a long-buried sense of guilt to resurface. The fondness that she and her mother had for him nearly drove Ken to cancel their already-postponed wedding plans. Yet it was Hamada's obliviousness to their engagement that set the stage for laying the foundation for their fifty-year marriage.

She was momentarily distracted when she heard their guest laugh. Whatever the joke was, she had completely missed it. She would ask her daughter later about it (though the flush on her face might make it difficult to goad it out of her). She took caferul stock of the man's expression, and was relieved that the laughter reached his eyes. Many times she had wondered if he would ever laugh like that again after he left. When he had regained his memories right before he left, he had seemed like a different person. Compared to sense of wonder and the easy smiles of her "little brother", the sheer amount of sadness and guilt she saw in his eyes back then broke her heart.

 _"I need you to apologize to your mother for me," he had said, "for all the trouble I caused her."_

The events that led to that moment was hazy in her memory, but after hearing what her mother had to tell about a strange mystical power, Geass, she came to accept that she may never recall any of that day's events. What mattered was that they were safe, and they had Hamada to thank for it.

 _"He'll be back," her mother had said, "for the sheet music in the clinic. If I'm not around when he comes for it, tell him―"_

-.o.O.o.-

"Happy Birthday." That was the message, and she had delivered it as instructed, with Hamada caught red-handed removing the frame with the sheet music from its place on the wall.

After a quick glance at the calendar on the wall, he chuckled. It was December fifth.

"You're right. Talk about coincidence."

"You got your present," she told him.

"Indeed. Thank your mother for me."

"No," she countered, the tone in her voice left no room for argument. "After everything I've seen, after everything she told me, she deserves more than that!"

"When you finish whatever it is you're about to do," she continued when he didn't answer back, "come back and tell her everything.

"On her birthday."

"Swear it." She had finished her statement pointing a commanding finger at him. She had stayed like that for a long while, refusing to even blink until he responded.

And there was no way she was taking "no" for answer.

-.o.O.o.-

Looking back, it was stupid to start expecting him when the date first came three months later. But when she told her mother about the promise she had extracted, she had never seen the older woman so happy.

Since then, mother and daughter looked forward to the date every year. At long last, after fifty long years, their patience was finally rewarded.

"Honey," she spoke when it was time, "could you show our guest to the garden and wait there while I get 'Baachan?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading this far. Most of you ended up confused at the end of the first chapter. Not unexpected. Thanks for deciding to follow the story anyway. But I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

Thanks to both **yuuram2fangirl** and **l3largus** for leaving reviews (and a muffin).

~ryder77


	3. 03 - The Grandmother

**A/N:** Drat. Was hoping for another muffin. Oh well...

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

A light wind blew that evening, lightly divesting a cherry tree in full bloom some of the petals from its blossoms. Some of them fell upon a strange pair ― a man and a woman ― as they stared at each other, as if expressing their impatience at the two's staring contest.

The tree was in the garden that belonged to the woman, now wheelchair-bound in her old age. In fact, she turned a hundred today. The man was her guest, one she had been waiting for half of those years, though he appeared to have an age only a few over half of that half. He stood straight, wearing clothes that were in fashion perhaps thirty years prior. Why he would be wearing them wasn't that strange to him, however.

"You're late," she finally declared.

"I lost track of the time," he replied. "Sorry about that."

The woman snorted. "Liar."

He shrugged. "You know me too well. But I do feel bad about it."

She sighed. "Apology accepted. I like the beard. It suits you."

"I thought you'd appreciate it," he explained, "if we looked closer in age."

She laughed then, though with difficulty. Those who knew her could bear witness to her strength of spirit, but were also all too aware that her body could no longer keep up with it. No matter, she got her wish today.

"It's good to see you again, Lelouch."

"Happy birthday, Kallen."

* * *

 _ **03 - The Grandmother**_

* * *

She really should have known better.

In her hundreth year in this life, she should have gone through enough surprises so she could no longer be surprised. She also should have gone through enough disappointments so she could no longer hope.

But she was a woman who in many occassions had thought all hope was lost only to be proven wrong; enough to look for the silver lining in every dark cloud that came to her late in her long life.

Reaching the age of one hundred years was rare even for this age where sickness and disease were nearly nonexistent. Perhaps it was nature's way of bringing balance in this world, that the children conceived after FLEIJA was first seen in battle were born with a genetic defect, with most dying before they could learn to walk. Life expectancy ― even among the Japanese ― had also lowered to the late 50's for men and early 60's for women. Fertility in women had suffered similarly, with most achieving menopause as early as age 32. As such, the birth of her own granddaughter was considered a miracle in both medical and evolutionary sense.

Family of miracles, that was what they were being called, now. It was, however, not without hard work in their part. Take her daughter, for instance ― her marriage almost never happened in the aftermath of the Great Tokyo Earthquake fifty years ago. Their wedding was scheduled for the day after the disaster, but both had agreed to postpone it in favor of contributing to the relief effort. As with many relationships, the stress from the disaster made emotions run high, and both nearly called it off. Unbelievably, the incident with their guest's... claimants, was what they needed to finally go through with it.

In her mind, though, nothing compared to the miracle standing before her right now.

"I'm sorry I made you wait for so long," he spoke, in perfect Japanese.

"Don't be," she replied, "From what I'm told, the year was never decided."

"Just the same," he countered, "precious time was lost, old friend."

She rolled her eyes, "You just _had_ to say 'old', didn't you?"

He chuckled, then moved closer, bending a knee in front of her wheelchair and extended a hand. "Then let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?"

She took a moment to note the red mark on his palm before reaching for the offered hand. "Yes. Let's."

 _What you seek will set you apart from the rest of humanity. If you are prepared to face this, you must be willing to grant my one wish. Do you accept the terms of this contract?_

 _I do._

Had she been a decade or two younger than she was now, she would probably be driven insane by the barrage of images that suddenly flooded her mind. Now, with the experiences she earned in her long life, she had the discernment to sort them out, and was able to arrange them in a manner that made sense to her. She pictured herself doing so standing up from her chair, flicking her wrist at each memory as they flew past, towards some direction or another, until finally they were all arranged as in a museum; she only needed to choose which gallery to enter as she pleased.

She was able to trace the path to when Lelouch used his Geass on her, and how he managed to make her believe he wasn't Zero. She traced the path to when he accidentally used it on Euphemia, and she felt the emotions that warred within him until the Black Rebellion. Kaminejima. Babel Tower. The World of C. She already suspected much of what she learned now, and finally knowing the truth firsthand brought her some measure of peace. She traced the path to when he decided on Zero Requiem, to when he died, and to when he woke up to his immortality decades later. She braced herself for what was to come next.

She continued following this path a little more leisurely, as if she was walking beside Lelouch for the entirety of it. She was glad when saw C.C. again, doing well, but was saddened when she learned that while her friend finally could die, her soul remained locked within the Code, preventing a rebirth.

Rebirth. If you asked her directly, Kallen would say that she did not believe in such things. However, especially since she first laid eyes on her granddaughter, she slowly came to admit that it could be possible. Later meeting the girl's boyfriend, Rollie, the sense of familiarity was too great to dismiss.

Continuing on the path of Lelouch's quest, she had the mind to not dwell on the morality of some of the choices that Lelouch had to make. Instead, she focused on the mystery that was Geass.

As she watched Lelouch hunt down immortal after immortal, she became more fascinated with every new tidbit of knowledge that came with every Code. She was also surprised that the information she managed to gather on anything related to Geass was more helpful than she had imagined. Her thoughts went back to her husband, who she knew was like C.C.. It was him who encouraged her to put them all in one place, using a method that was older than any hooked-up technology but was easy enough to manage. When the time finally came that they should part and fake his death, she found herself more determined to find a way to end the curse, having already lost two men in her life to Geass.

 _"I got faith in you, Kiddo." He never stopped calling her that, even after they married. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do. Don't ever lose that big heart of yours."_

It was hardly stuff for romance books, but she truly loved the man. He just showed up one day at the hospital she worked at, looking and acting nothing at all like a prince charming. If you asked her, he seemed like a cross between Gino and Tamaki, and doubly more annoying. He had a beard, too; she hated beards. Unexpectedly, he still managed to worm his way into her heart, and they decided to marry in less than half a year since they first met.

Even that nearly ended as quickly as it started.

-.o.O.o.-

"Some lawyer called."

It was barely a week since they returned from their honeymoon trip. Her husband had just returned to their small apartment from an errand.

"...wanted me to come to their office. Something about my father's..." Her mind was still reeling from what the caller told her. A sizable inheritance... Only if she married... Before she turned twenty-five...

"You insisted on the date, right?" She asked him. "The day before my birthday."

"Kallen," he began, but she wasn't listening.

"You knew!"

She couldn't remember much of what she said or did after the accusation; except for that she couldn't decide between clutching her chest or head with the confused mix of thoughts and emotions that were running through her. He wanted the money! Will he kill her now? Lock her up? Declare her insane because of what she told him about Geass when she saw his tattoo?

She felt him grab her, and she was suddenly in another place. The silence and the, blankness, of her surroundings snapped her out of her thoughts enough to collect herself. In the next moment she saw images of herself during the days spent preparing to fight against Lelouch, as well as the feelings of admiration and respect that came with them. Next came sporadic images of time of peace after Lelouch's death, before finally focusing on an overheard conversation between a group of lawyers, apparently thanking her father for their good fortune. _And to his daughter! May she remain single for another six months._ Then came images of events she was familiar with, but through another set of eyes, and the earlier feelings of admiration slowly turned into affection, until the encounter just moments earlier.

When the images faded, standing just ahead of her was her husband, the tattoo at his left forearm was the only thing that had color in this space. She then became aware of a warmth that seemed to focus on only her. _Love_ , she figured, and it came from him.

"Believe what you're feeling," he spoke, his voice seeming to come from all directions. "Here. Now. There are no lies."

 _It's true_ , she thought. Somehow, she knew it was. She was also aware of the same love coming from within her, no matter how she wanted to deny it. Here. Now.

She reached for him.

Returning to reality, she found herself cradled against his chest, both of them on the floor of their now-messy apartment. In her confusion, she must have begun throwing things at him. Seeing blood on his face, she supposed that was indeed the case.

"Just say the word, Kiddo," he whispered when he saw her looking at him, "I'll leave."

"No!"

It was the truth. She already lost her father to society, her brother to violence, and Lelouch to his own schemes. She had the choice this time around, and she'd rather die before losing another man she loved.

"Please. Stay."

-.o.O.o.-

With her inheritance, they built the Earl Stadtfeld Memorial Hospital near the outskirts of Tokyo, and bought back the ancestral home in Izu, where her mother grew up. When the time came that it would be difficult to explain his continuing youth, her husband asked her for a boat, which was only ever used to stage his death.

Josephine came into her life not long after. The only survivor of a car crash that claimed the lives of her parents, she was an angry child who wanted to make their killer suffer. Kallen took her under her wing, seeing a bit of herself in the girl. It took ten years before the girl finally called her "Mother", and decided to give up on her quest for revenge.

Kallen briefly took a detour from the current path, to look back at how events played out for Lelouch when he first woke up after his death. When he was wheeled in ― heavily bandaged and strapped to a stretcher ― to where she worked on other injured victims of the quake, she had recognized him instantly, though he didn't seem to know her. When she figured he wasn't faking the amnesia (recalling C.C. in a similar situation long ago), she thought it best to keep him close while he recovered, and he had became a part of her family. She felt glad when she learned that he had been happy to have been part of it during those few short weeks.

Returning to the earlier path, she learned that the last immortal he had faced was her husband, who also turned out to be the most ancient of the seven. A former Templar Knight (among other occupations), he had been the last to attempt to rid the world of Geass, but failed. Dismayed by his failure, he had hidden himself away from all human contact. When he felt the ripple that was created when Lelouch foiled the Ragnarok Connection in the World of C, he decided to investigate. With his new identity, he joined the Black Knights as a foot soldier, where he first noticed Kallen. After Zero Requiem, he sensed that seven Codes were active again, and had set the stage, through her, to give Lelouch what he needed to succeed.

Which led Lelouch back to her doorstep, and hopefully, the end of his story.

Opening her eyes to the place within their minds, she declared,

"That's all I wanted."

Lelouch's image smiled, "And that's all I wanted to hear. You have granted my wish."

Suddenly, the blank expanse around them exploded in color and sound. Momentarily disoriented, she looked around to seek its source. She was surprised that it was Lelouch.

No, she corrected herself, not Lelouch himself, but the marks of the Code that covered his body. The souls who were cursed by immortality finally finding their release exploded in laughter and song, expressing their gratitude as they circled the pair before leaving to disappear somewhere above them.

One soul with a familiar face approached her, affectionate and giggling. It took her a moment to recognize C.C., because Kallen had never seen her so happy. They clasped hands, sharing in their joy, before the former immortal left to join the others. A moment later another soul approached her, bringing with it a strong sense of love. She felt her own soul resonate with it, as it always did so many times, so long ago. Recognizing her husband, she reached out with both arms and they embraced.

"You did great, Kiddo."

"I missed you, old man. So much," If she were able to shed tears in this plane, she thought, she probably would.

With great reluctance, they parted, all too aware of the need to answer a long-overdue call.

"I'll see you when you get there," he declared, pointing his thumb upwards behind him.

She nodded, "I'll see you soon."

After a final parting wave to her husband, Kallen found herself back in her garden, still holding Lelouch's hand. He, on the other hand, stared blankly ahead, apparently still in a trance. She turned the hand she was holding, and noted that the mark that was there moments ago had disappeared. Reaching out, she cupped his face with her hands, and guided it to rest on her lap.

"You poor man," she whispered as she ran her hand through his hair. "Fighting, all alone, for so long. For all of us."

She bent down, willingly ignoring her back's protests, to plant a kiss to his temple. "But it's alright, now. It's over. You're nearly home."

* * *

 **A/N:** Had a tough time with this chapter. Hope it turned out okay. Yes, I'm still loving writing about my favorite ship, and exploring possibilities with them. I went with the theory that came out shortly after R2 ended that Kallen studied to become a doctor.

Just so you guys know, the last chapter of this story will be posted on Kallen's birthday.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~ryder77


	4. 04 - The Guest

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

 _ **04 - The Guest**_

* * *

It felt incredible!

The sheer feeling of relief from the lifting of his burden and of others before him ― the lifting of a curse as old as the human race ― there was simply no other word to describe it. At long last those who have fallen victim to it and the price it exacted would finally, truly rest in peace.

Geass.

Since before his own birth it had a hand in writing his story.

His father's lies. His uncle's cruelty. His mother's triumphs. His sister's blindness. His own greatest achievements and worst of failures.

In all that he had lost and gained, Geass was somehow involved.

 _This power I shall bestow upon you. In exchange you must grant one wish of mine._

With that power he conquered the world and ruled with tyranny and cruelty ― so much that all the world wanted was to be rid of him. With his death he granted the world the power to govern themselves, and with it the world should grant his one wish: a kind and gentle coexistence.

"Zero Requiem" he had called it. It was a Geass he bestowed upon the world; a contract made for eternity.

Or so he had hoped.

-.o.O.o.-

 _Where am I?_

It was dark, but there was so much noise. He could tell he was clothed, but he was freezing. He could feel his arms and legs, but can't seem to move them.  
After some time, he surmised that he was lying flat on his back against something hard, and that he was strapped against it. The noise he was hearing, he noted, was mostly people's voices, but something kept him from hearing their words properly. The tone of those voices was urgent, but he could also tell, through how quickly one voice responded after another spoke, that they were organized.

 _What's happening?_

In the next moment he felt strong vibrations from beneath him, followed shortly by objects rattling, falling over, crashing...

 _We're under attack!_

He struggled, tried to get up. He tried to speak; tried to say he could help! But there was something in his mouth; something down his throat. He felt hands pushing him back down but he resisted them all the more with what little strength he had. It didn't matter that every part of his body screamed in pain when he did, either.

 _What are you doing?! Let me up!_

He finally tried opening his eyes, only to grunt in frustration when he couldn't make his left eyelid obey. His right eye hurt when it opened, having met with an overhead lamp's brightness head-on. He could see them now ― faceless forms casting their shadows above him, three or four in all. He struggled once more against them; he had to make them understand!

"Calm down," he heard someone say.

 _That voice..._

He searched for the speaker with his uncovered eye, momentarily halting his struggling, but the too-bright light made it difficult for him to really focus. In the next moment he learned he needn't have troubled himself, as the speaker cupped his face in their hands and brought their face close to his.

"You're safe here," they said. He could just make out their eyes, now ― a familiar pair of deep blue blue. "Just calm down."

 _You!_

"That's it," the voice said. His relief must have been plain for all of them to see. "Rest. Leave everything else to us."

With that assurance he ceased his struggling, and let his body fall leaden. Suddenly aware of his tiredness, he closed his eye and let himself fall into deep, dreamless slumber.

-.o.O.o.-

It had taken the earth crumbling around him, the ocean swallowing him up, and falling victim to a hit-and-run a lifetime later before he fully awoke to his immortality. He supposed he would have laughed at the combination himself if the experience wasn't as painful as it had been. The unfamiliarity of his surroundings and the general confusion resulting from the recent natural disaster had hindered his attempts at recalling anything from before woke up at the hospital.

The family that found him was kind enough to accept him into their home. Unfortunately, with it came the discovery that the force he sought to destroy long ago had also lived on.

-.o.O.o.-

He had left Josephine and Ken alone in the main house, excusing himself to retrieve something from the storage shed so they could speak in private. While he didn't really have anything to take, he thought it best to keep appearances up. He explored its contents with the intention of being useful in the near future, when winter finally set in.

 _Engaged! Wow. I should have noticed it sooner. I suppose I could always blame it on my amnesia..._

A simple storage box caught his attention. There was nothing that made the box stand out from all the others that surrounded it, but, for some reason, he felt strangely drawn to it. Located in one of the lower shelves, he bent down to inspect it.

 _Barely any dust_ , he noted. Curiosity effectively piqued, he reached out to retrieve it.

He withdrew his hand just a hair's breadth before touching the box. He looked around him. He could have sworn someone had called out to him in warning, and it had felt vaguely familiar. Convinced the old house was playing tricks on his imagination, he reached for the box again.

The moment his fingers touched the box, images flooded his mind. Flashes of ancient wars, places of worship, plagues, disasters, massacres. He was bombarded with sights, sounds, scents, sensations. A familiar voice stood out among all these. Desperately, he focused on that.

After something he could only describe as a touch, he found himself in a familiar-looking room. In the center of it was a small table, with an unfinished chess game.

Sensing a presence, he whirled around to see a familiar head of lime-colored hair.

He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of the storage shed, with full knowledge of who he used to be, and, with a check of the palm of his right hand, what he was now.

-.o.O.o-

Like before it sought to bring harm to those close to him.

-.o.O.o-

He sensed another touch, then a foreign presence, which made him hurry back to the house. He arrived to see Ken wounded and shielding Josephine. They were surrounded by three armed men wearing uniforms bearing the mark of Geass. With the crash course C.C. gave him on his new abilities, he was able to make quick work of the agents, as well as block some of his friends' memories.

He had left immediately, taking the mysterious box with him. That same evening, under the cover of darkness, he opened it to discover an artifact of Geass ― a ceremonial dagger ― and a recorded message from Josephine's mother.

Kallen.

 _Lelouch. If you are listening to this, then you're probably already planning to leave. But before you go, there is something you should take with you. Besides the dagger, I've been filing everything that could be related to Geass that came my way. I'm not sure how much of it is actually useful, but I hope they help. What good is Zero Requiem without Zero? Good luck._

Included in the box was a device for reading microdot film. The microdots were hidden in the notes of the sheet music kept on a frame in Kallen's clinic.

Mozart's "Requiem".

-.o.O.o.-

Like before he vowed not to fail them again.

And so he sought them all out ― those he had known to be the source of it all: the bearers of the Code. Thanks to the information Kallen had passed on to him, he had easily located the first of them ― the one whose true name was known to him.

Unlike before, C.C. had been more honest with him, freely giving him what information she could offer as he needed them, including how to keep other Code-bearers from homing in on him. At first C.C. had been reluctant to hand over her Code to him, not wishing the burden of immortality rest upon his shoulders for long. However, after they learned that unlocking the secret to end Geass had certain requisites, she let him steal it from her.

Geass was the power that fulfilled one's greatest wish; a wish one only truly understood when one ascertains one's reason for living; a reason one usually realized only when one came face-to-face with death (he refused to imagine what methods were used by the Directorate with all those children). This power, once brought to its full potential could let its bearer live, but never as before. This new life, in turn, can be only lost if there was another whose desire to live was greater; and for this reason the Code could only be taken, never given.

Apparently with each Code comes a portion of an ancient wisdom. Two of them held enough pieces to understand the Ragnarok Connection and how to make it come about. A third Code ― which took him the better part of sixteen years to obtain ― brought with it a stronger awareness of the other Code bearers, and the knowledge that there were seven Codes in all. The fourth Code gave him the power to know where the exact locations of the remaining three were, regardless of whether or not they did not want to be found, as well as access to every Thought Elevator. The fifth revealed to him how it all began, and the sixth revealed to him that the key to ending it all lay with the seventh.

Instead of relief, the seventh Code brought him despair. With what was revealed to him, he had actually become the new source of what he had sought to destroy.

 _Seek ye out one whose wish is one with yours. Choose unwisely and seven shall be as they were._

His body had begun to age again after gaining the seventh code. With this discovery, he had hoped taking his own life would take all the Code and Geass with him, but with every death since, his body reverted to its age when he first died.

Many more years have passed before he decided to live away from civilization. Many more years have passed before his greatest wish changed to having someone who would be willing to hear his whole story. And even more years before he heard that one with whom he made such a promise to still lived and was probably still waiting ― for so long it had become her reason for living.

Finally, he had someone to share his story with, and his wish was granted. Finally, she learned what she wanted to know, and her wish was granted. In a single act, the terms of their contract had been fulfilled.

Finally, Geass was no more.

"Impressive," a voice said from ahead of him. "Here I was, ready to see you fail."

Lelouch let himself descend from the feeling of euphoria to face the entity ahead of him. It had an androgynous appearance, and bore a slight resemblance to C.C.. He first met this being when he collected all seven Codes, and had been the one who told him the condition that would erase the existence of Geass.

The image of the Guardian snorted. "You were ready to dig a hole in the ground to bury yourself in, like the last one."

"I admit it seemed like a good idea. But that was before-"

"You found out she still lived," the Guardian completed his sentence for him, conjuring an image of a young Kallen in her Black Knights uniform. "Quite the woman."

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed."

"Tell me," it went on. "Why did you think going to her would end it all?"

"I made a promise," Lelouch replied simply.

"But you didn't know she still wanted what you had to offer. She married your predecessor, after all."

Lelouch took one look at the determined stare of Kallen's image, and watched its expression change slightly to match how it looked when she pleaded to him for answers when he was emperor, then how that same expression showed itself in her older self, wearing a physician's gown. "I knew _her_."

"Come on, you can do better than that!"

Lelouch looked back at it, confused. "I don't know what you mean."

"The story's almost over but the lesson is lost. Silly humans," the Guardian mumbled to itself, earning a raised eyebrow from Lelouch. "You put complete faith on someone other than yourself, for once."

"Think about it," it continued. "When you trusted people to carry out your plans, you had greater faith in your plans and backup plans than the people you tasked to carry them out. When you trusted Suzaku in your Zero Requiem, you counted on his thirst for vengeance than the man himself.

"But with her," the image changed to the both of them in Kallen's garden, "even as you stood before her, even as you held out your hand, you weren't certain about anything. You don't even have anything planned for after."

"You said it before, actually," it went on when Lelouch remained silent. "Geass is like a wish that you need other people's help to achieve."

"I... She hadn't failed me before."

"Close enough," the Guardian smiled. "That's what it was about, all along. Geass was meant to teach humanity to wish for the simpler things in life, at the same time to have them learn to reach out to the people who surrounded them. That even with all that power, there's always something you can never achieve alone. It took a few thousand years and the power being abused, but thanks to your efforts and your Zero Requiem, they're heading in the right direction. As far as that went, you have my thanks."

The guardian then inclined its head, as if listening to a voice only it can hear, then turned back to Lelouch. "Hm. It appears it's about time you went back."

-.o.O.o.-

Lelouch opened his eyes to find himself slumped over Kallen's lap as she stroked his hair.

"Otsukaresama deshita," she said. Normally, it was the Japanese greeting said at the end of a day's work. For him, at this moment, it made him feel everything he had done amounted to something. He felt he could finally go home, and rest.

 _Home..._

"You're welcome to stay," she offered. "Your old bedroom is ready for you."

"Thanks," he said as he leaned back to face her, "but I have one more stop to make before turning in."

"All right," she replied. "Tell Jo to come get me on your way out."

With a nod, he stood up and left the garden, making sure that Josephine got his message. His destination was only up the next hill, he told her. He wouldn't take long.

With every step he made since leaving the house, he felt more and more tired, but he persevered. He _was_ mortal again, after all, he reminded himself, everthing would take a little extra effort.

He blinked in surprise when he felt something cold touch his face. Looking up, he noticed it had begun to snow. Not unheard of in late March, but a very rare event just the same.

"Do you know why snow is white," he asked to no one in particular before continuing his journey.

* * *

 **A/N:** Not quite over yet, but this is where the idea for this story ends. Thanks to ShadowBlah2 for beta-reading up to this point, though it had a few extra stuff since he did.

The "reason for living" bit was from _Renya of the Darkness_ , while the Guardian was from _Akito the Exiled._ I have yet to start reading _Oz of the Reflection_ , though I'm doubtful it connects well with the canon LotR timeline (and I'm quite disappointed with how _Akito_ wrapped up).

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~ryder77


	5. 05 - Goodbye, Hello

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are owned by Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

 _ **05- Goodbye. Hello.**_

* * *

Lying back on the pillows back in her bed, Kallen observed her daughter's expression.

"You're worried."

Josephine nodded. "I know better than to doubt your judgement, Mother, but I am _her_ mother, after all."

Kallen nodded in understanding. "This is as much for her sake as it is Lelouch's."

Josephine sighed. "Will I hear how the story ends?"

Kallen grinned, the one that Josephine came to know to mean she knew more than what she was willing to tell. "Maybe. But not tonight. I'm tired."

"If he comes back, tell him I'm sorry I couldn't wait for him," she called out as Josephine turned to leave.

"Okay, Mother. Good night." she responded before closing the door. Turning to the corridor that led to her own bedroom, a thought ocurred to her,

 _She said 'if'._

-.o.O.o.-

Standing before the Torii at the bottom of a long flight of stairs, a young man was warring with his emotions. The year previous, he had been ready to propose to his girlfriend of many years. However, a career opportunity he couldn't pass up came along, and he was forced to leave her.

 _Shirley_.

It was her who broke it off, reacting hysterically at the thought of having an ocean between them for the next three years. He protested, of course, swearing there could never be another woman in his life. He was even ready to propose anyway, right there and then, but she had already turned and left. They hadn't spoken to each other since.

A lull in his work gave him the opportunity to return to Japan for a short vacation. He had no plans in particular, as Shirley never returned any of his messages. A part of him wanted to drop by and congratulate her grandmother on her hundredth birthday, but he wasn't sure he was welcome. Instead, he just wandered the area, hoping to at least have a glimpse of his love, though he didn't have the courage to come within view of the house itself.

So here he was, beside the sign that said "Kururugi Shrine", about two bus stops away.

"Why am I even here," he asked aloud.

"Perhaps," surprised that he wasn't alone, he whirled to face the one who spoke, "you need to climb to the top to get your answers."

"Oh, I," Rollie stammered, still recovering from the surprise, "I don't really believe in that stuff."

"Well, you're clearly not getting your answers just standing there," said the man. He was old, with hair as white as the snow that was falling. His clothes, though, wasn't what was usually worn by his age group, which confused the younger man. Or, at least, he hadn't seen a man over fifty that still wore patent leather shoes for a walk in the neighborhood.

"Besides, I could use the company," the older man continued. "I used to climb these stairs all the time when I was younger, and I was wondering how the shrine looks like now. Who knows? Maybe the climb itself would clear your head."

Rollie stared at the eyes that were a shade of purple darker than his own, and felt he could tell this man anything. "I don't know, sir. It was wanting to climb to the top that got me into this mess in the first place."

"Well," the older man shrugged, "maybe you chose the wrong set of stairs."

The younger man laughed. "Okay, I'll bite, pops."

-.o.O.o.-

Shirley knew where to go. She didn't even see what direction their guest took when he left, but she had a feeling. Heck, her own grandmother hadn't even said much, but she found herself practically flying out the house once the words had sunk in.

 _You've been waiting for this moment. You know what to do._

It was if a switch inside her was turned on. The exhaustion she felt when the party ended was suddenly gone, and she was running the whole way.

Coming to a stop, she looked around to check her bearings. One look at a nearby sign, and she turned left to a long climb.

-.o.O.o.-

Rollie and the old man were both panting when they reached the top of the steps. The latter was in worse shape than expected, and the former ended up supporting him for more than two-thirds of the way up.

"How young were you when you last climbed up those steps, pops?"

"Eighteen," the man replied. "A lifetime ago."

"I bet," Rollie laughed as he took a quick look around. "There's a bench right there," he pointed out before walking there himself. He turned back when he noticed the man was not following. "Sir?"

Taking another look at the man, he squinted in confusion; the man hadn't looked _this_ old when they started the climb. Now, he was bent over, and he was certain that it was not from trying to catch his breath.

 _You're imagining things,_ he told himself. _A trick of the light._

"I'm sorry," the man spoke, "that I put you through all that."

"It was no problem," he responded, assuming the man meant the climb. He had shared the story of what troubled him as they went up, and managed to get a lot out of his chest. "And you were right, the climb did clear my head."

Yet the man still seemed, guilty, somehow.

"Rollie?"

He turned to face the new arrival. "Shirley!"

And, just like that, something within him clicked; he now knew why he was here.

"Ah, you were supposed to meet," the old man spoke. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Yes," he replied,"to tell you something." It felt strange. He knew he was the one saying those words, but felt like someone else was speaking through him. It didn't feel like he was being controlled, either; more like it was a part of him that was always there, but only just surfaced. One look at Shirley and he knew: it was the same for her.

"Even now you bear the burden of guilt," he heard himself speak, and he knew that it was true. He turned to face the man again, who stood frozen in place. "You shouldn't be."

"You can't blame yourself for the consequences of other people's choices." It was Shirley, this time, walking closer as she spoke. "Especially if it was done out or their own free will."

Rollie spoke again. "You felt responsible, that's only natural. But what's done is done."

"It's about time you forgave yourself," Shirley finished.

Lelouch just stood there, listening to two of the ghosts that had been haunting him since their deaths. It was their deaths that weighed most heavily on him, having known their names, faces, hopes, innocence.

And they both lost their lives trying to protect him.

Yet here they were. Different, but the same. Telling him what he needed to hear; what he knew to be true but never allowed himself to accept.

"H-how..?"

"You just do."

It wasn't the answer to what he was asking, but the words struck him just the same. They were right, he was the one that hadn't forgiven himself. But it was over now, wasn't it? Geass was finally erased. He only had to decide...

The tears came, and he felt his knees give way beneath him. The two youngsters caught him before he collapsed completely. Working together, the two sat him down on the nearby bench.

-.o.O.o.-

 _She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room, but the warmth that came from beside her in the bed reminded her why that was._

 _It was the morning after her wedding, and,_

 _"Happy birthday, Kiddo," came the greeting from her husband, followed by a lingering kiss to her forehead._

 _She sighed, both in contentment and a bit of disappointment. She had asked him repeatedly to stop calling her by that nickname, and hoped it would change when they finally tied the knot. She was wrong._

 _"When will you ever stop calling me that, old man?" Small revenge, but better than nothing._

 _He shrugged. "Someday."_

Kallen slowly came awake from her dream feeling better than she had in a long time. Perhaps, she thought, the memory was triggered by their encounter earlier. Smiling at the feeling, she slowly opened her eyes,

And saw him standing beside her bed.

"Can't wait, old man?"

"I insisted on escorting you peronally, My Lady," the apparition beside Kallen's bed replied. He looked dashing, exactly like he did when they posed for their wedding portrait.

"Whatever happened to 'Kiddo'?"

"Today's the day," he replied, offering his hand.

When she took the offered hand, gone was the gnarled hand that endured much pain from arthritis; it was as supple as on the day she became a bride. When she got up and stood beside her husband, she felt no difficullty from her back or any of her other joints.

Taking one last look at her room, she saw Josephine enter with her next round of medications. She couldn't help but feel a little sad. "Jo..."

"She'll be alright," he said. "Good news is coming her way."

Just before they left, she was given a glimpse of a young couple climbing down from a long flight of stairs. Good news was indeed coming her daughter's way.

-.o.O.o.-

"Any idea what that was all about?"

It was Shirley who spoke. The girl had left her house without even a shawl with her. She ended up sneezing from the cold while she and Rollie were consoling the old man, which led to him asking the younger man to escort her home. Now, descending together down the stairs with Rollie's jacket on her shoulders, she thought to make sense of their shared experience.

"No idea," Rollie replied. "When you showed up, it felt like I was on autopilot."

"Me too," she supplied. "'Baachan told me something, and the next thing I knew, I was running to come here. Whatever it was, it felt right."

"Yeah. And the old man looked like he needed it. I wonder who he is."

"I'm not sure," Shirley began, "but I think he was at the house earlier."

"Friend of your 'Baachan's?"

Shirley nodded, "I think so. Mom knew him."

"I see. He looked the right age, I think."

Shirley thought there was something wrong with that statement, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she turned back to look at the top. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

"I hope so," he replied. He thought back to the sense of regret that the old man had. _Maybe you chose the wrong set of stairs,_ he had said. It wasn't meant in the literal sense, he was sure, but after coming back down this particular set of stairs, he had reched a decision.

"Marry me."

When Shirley only blinked in response to his unexpected declaration, "I mean, will you?"

"What?" The disbelief in her voice was obvious to both of them.

"Last year," he explained, "I was going to ask you. But I thought, I needed to make a name for myself, first. Do something to deserve you better. But I ended up breaking your heart; I lost you instead."

"Rollie..."

"Seeing you again, being with you again, like this," he continued, "it reminded me how much better we were when we're together, how complete I feel when you're around me. Just to hear you laugh, I found myself capable of things I never thought I could do. I know now that I've become the bigger loser for choosing to leave, because I've always needed you beside me

"So I'll say this now," he reached for both her hands and bent a knee, "I love you, Shirley Faust. Say you'll have me, and I'll... I'll―"

When he felt her lips on his own, he knew no more words were necessary.

-.o.O.o.-

Lelouch looked up to study the exterior of the storage shed that was once his home. It seemed smaller, now, though better kept. The plaque near its entrance explained that it had become a historical landmark, having been Empress Nunnally's humble abode prior to the Britannian invasion. Crossing the chain fence, he made his way inside, discovering in the process that they had kept the original locks, though the door had long since been replaced. Finally setting foot on its interior, he declared,

"I'm home, Nunnally."

Moving further inside, he noted that much of the old wood had been restored expertly. Every effort was made to reproduce its state when they first lived here, based on Nunnally's journals. He easily found his way to where they both used to sleep, and found a folded wheelchair neatly placed exactly where he used to after he put Nunnally to bed. A look-alike of his old chair was there, too.

Feeling his exhaustion, he went to sit on the chair, which was near the window, exactly where he used to sit when he had time to read. Leaning back, he watched the snow fall, and thought back to happier times.

 _Oniisama_!

He opened his eyes with a start, realizing he had fallen asleep. He immediately got up, deciding he shouldn't make Kallen's household wait any longer for him.

He caught movement from the corner of his eye, then heard laughter.

 _It can't be!_

Moving towards the entrance, he turned just in time to see familiar wavy, sandy blonde hair disappear through the door.

"Wait," he called out, then ran after the apparition. Exhaustion suddenly gone, he reached the door in no time at all. He reached out for the handle and pulled it open.

 _Fireworks?_

"Alright! You're finally here!"

"Out gambling again, Mr. Vice-President?"

 _Rivalz? Milly?_

He only just noticed that this wasn't the exterior of the Kururugi Shrine, anymore. He was at the rooftop of Ashford Academy.

"Don't just stand there, Lelouch! Here, we saved you some."

 _Suzaku_!

"Oh, Save some for Kallen! She arrived just before you did, but she got a call. She'll be right back, though."

"Shirley and Rolo had to leave early, though it looks like they got the message to you."

"But, it still took Nunnally to finally get you here! Why doesn't that surprise me?"

 _Here?_

"Home, Oniisama," came a voice from behind him, as they slipped their arm under his.

 _Nunnally!_

Just then, a firework was launched just behind him, and it had exploded in the sky into a very recognizable flower ― a red lotus.

"Show-off!"

Lelouch turned to see Kallen wearing a smirk that was as haughty as his and Milly's combined.

"Welcome home!"

Yes, he agreed as Nunnally led him to where the others were. He was finally home.

* * *

 **A/N:**

And that's a wrap. This one is the second idea of mine on Kallen getting a geass; the first one being _Miles to Go Before I Sleep._ Yes, that does mean that both stories were thought up at the same time (also, Kallen died in both fics. Huh). This one I thought to combine with the idea of Lelouch becoming immortal but wasn't aware of it.

There are a ton of mini-stories for this that got scrapped when I finally decided to limit the storytelling to four PoV's. That being said, I want to know what you all think of the whole story ― if you saw the same kind of story elsewhere, how it could be better, what parts made you roll your eyes, etc. I want all of it!

Maybe this would someday see a full-story version, but I needed to get this out of the way so the sequel doesn't have competition in my head. _Rotations_ will be getting sporadic additions while I expand its universe.

Thanks for reading! Kallen turns 16 today, yay! Oh, wasn't Naoto supposed to die this year too?

 _April 6, 2016 edit:_ Fixed some typos.


	6. Afterword

So, here's a little "story behind the story" chapter. Hope you guys don't mind.

As mentioned in the last author's note, this story was conceived at around the same time as _Miles to Go Before I Sleep_ , which was well before the first episode of _Akito the Exiled_ first hit the theaters. It was meant as a short story, of about the same length as _Breakthroughs_ , but the creative process had other ideas.

So, it started with the idea of an immortal Lelouch visiting an elderly Kallen on her birthday, but then I needed a reason for the visit. I mean, this was Lelouch, he doesn't do anything without a reason. So maybe, a promise? But then the Lelouch I've been writing always tended to plan things to practically follow a straight line to make any goal, so it would have to be a promise that would take ages to complete, despite his Lelouch-ness and immortality. And so, however ambitious a goal it was both for Lelouch as a character and myself as a storyteller, only the "erasure" of geass would give our dearest Lulu such a hard and long time.

Easy? Nope. There had to be other factors put into play, so I thought of setting the story about 30 years after the end of R2, then adding my experiences from the 3/11 Tohoku Earthquake into it (was in Kanto region, but it was no less scary), plus the introduction of new characters. The new characters would serve as practice for the OC's for the Full Circle sequel.

But, again. the creative process had other ideas, with the "30 years later/50 years ago" segment focusing extensively on the OC's ― about 88% Josephine x Ken ― instead of Lelouch and Kallen. Since the story was originally intended as a Kallen birthday fic, I had to stop myself a few times and sit back and asking, what do I really want to put in this story?

Then, finally, I settled for the four POV's. In the end, admittedly, it lacked the inter-personal connections and introspectives my other stories had, but I really wanted a shot at this storytelling style, all the while trying my best to avoid the gigantic text blocks of doom. I hoped to keep some of Josephine's diary entries from my pre-writes, but couldn't fit them anywhere in the final version.

I had also hoped that _Akito the Exiled_ would reveal more about how geass worked and maybe add it to the Lelouch chapter, but was disappointed. However, **(Spoiler ahead. Skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled)** the Guardian did refer to C.C. as a "human" when Leila asked if they were the same. From there I used the Guardian as the being behind geass' existence and would be the key to how to end it.

The Guardian bit in the Lelouch chapter was originally planned to be V.V. having a little talk with Lelouch, but then I couldn't think about anything they could talk about before V.V. faded into the afterlife.

Yeah, eight Thought Elevators. I honestly didn't count them before ShadowBlah2's story mentioned it. As far as that went, oops! And here I pride myself for owning every CG guidebook there was. Anyway, with Geass never truly explained and no other immortals introduced, I decided to keep the idea of having seven.

As for the character of Kallen's husband, that was last-minute. He merely "existed" in the original idea (that's why he's nameless), but then I decided to make him one of the immortals. Kallen's collection of geass "intelligence" was just a scrapbook of seemingly geass-related newspaper/magazine/tabloid articles. I had him sprinkle a little key information on them to make them actually useful for Lelouch before they became part of the sheet music, then had him contribute one artifact. If that didn't translate well in the final version, my bad. I guess I'm that much out of practice. The Templar idea, though, came from Crowley Eusford's backstory in the Owari no Seraph light novel. Whether or not I'd cross those two over, no plans at present.

How he looked like? I had Kaburagi T. Kotetsu in mind. Don't ask.

There was a Kallen's hubby vs Lelouch punch-out planned, but couldn't fit it anywhere, either.

(Inserted April 10, 2016) Forgot to mention, this story followed canon. For this story, Lelouch died when Zero stabbed him, then was buried in his bloody emperor clothes in an unmarked grave near the sea. While buried, he didn't wake up presumably due to insufficient oxygen, and lack of desire to live (which is why I think Suzaku can't get a geass from CC, but I digress).The earthquake caused a landslide that included the gravesite, then the resulting tsunami washed him into sea with lots of other debris. After some time, he gets washed ashore and wakes up disoriented. He walks around like a zombie until Ken runs him over, after which he is brought to Kallen's hospital, and the rest is this story. (Insert end)

Since nobody reviewed on the whole story as of this writing, I'm not sure if anybody noticed I made Lelouch age his actual years after erasing geass. I assumed that once losing Code, the immortals would die of their original mortal injuries (that is, what killed them before becoming immortal). Since erasing Geass didn't involve the same process, I thought maybe I should just took away the immortality and let him die of natural causes.

(Inserted April 29, 2016) **To RandomReviewer:** Yours was the review I've been hoping to get for this story. I've been trying to grow out of writing oneshots, and I'd like to hear about your views of this story in more detail. Kindly drop a PM if you can. (Insert end)

So, anyway, thanks for dropping by. There's a bonus chapter that wanted to be written, which I hope you'll all enjoy. I'm planning to post it on my own grandmother's birthday (turning 89 this year, but can still fillet a fish like nobody's business) which isn't too far off.

Till then!

~ryder77


	7. Bonus Chapter: Hello Once More

DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are properties of Sunrise, Inc.

* * *

"I'm sorry that your reunion was cut short."

Lelouch walked behind Kallen as she guided him through the halls of what was made to look like Ashford Academy. She was clad in her old Black Knights uniform, though she appeared to be in her twenties; with her hair reaching her shoulders and without her red headband. He had been wondering why that was, since the others were in casual clothing. Now that reason was revealed.

"As a reward for your success in finally erasing Geass, it has been decided that you will be undergoing rebirth. I was assigned to show you the way, that's why I was called away earlier."

"The others had lived their lives in full, thanks to you," she went on, answering his unasked question about those they left behind at the rooftop. "They will be staying here for a while."

Finally reaching the door to what was the headmaster's office, she continued "You won't be alone. Some already went ahead, and others will follow.

"Souls once together tend to find their way back together. Different, but somehow the same. You've already met Shirley. You might meet again, someday."

Finally, she opened the door for him, then moved to the side to let him pass.

"Good luck, Lelouch."

Without another word Lelouch walked through the door. At first, it seemed that he was walking on a flat surface while he moved deeper in the all-white room. After a while, the emptiness of his surroundings dulled his senses, leaving only an awareness that he existed; memories having long since faded in their insignificance in this place. In any other time, he would have been incredibly concerned about this emptiness in his mind, but right now, it didn't matter; he didn't care.

Then he began to feel again ― it was warm, and he was wrapped in it. He began to hear again ― there was a rhythm near him. _No, two_ , he corrected; one was a little faster than the other. The sounds and the warmth brought him a sense of comfort, and he felt safe.

Suddenly, everything changed. The rhythms increased in intensity, and the warmth that comforted him suddenly turned painful, forcibly turning his body this way and that. On instinct, he tried to resist, but he also felt that this was all necessary. One of the two rhythms slowly faded, and for the first time in a long while, he felt despair.

 _No matter how many times I am reborn―_

An echo of a memory came just before everything changed again. It was suddenly bright, and he began to feel cold, the warmth that surrounded him slowly coming away. Then noise! With the shock of all the sensations overwhelming him after a long period of silence, he did the only thing he could do.

He cried.

-.o.O.o.-

"Congratulations! You have a son!"

Shirley Faust-Lamperouge looked lovingly at her firstborn as she cradled him for the first time.

"Hello, Lelouch."

― _I'll always fall in love with you._

* * *

 _ **Ten years later...**_

"Give it back!"

The girl tried to make it sound commanding, that she was stronger than this bully, but her asthma made it seem she was begging for her inhaler. In a way, though, she was. She could already feel her breathing become more difficult. What a way to start her first day out of home-school.

"Oh, I don't know," came the bully's voice. "This just might look better on my jacket than yours." The inhaler was indeed made to look like a fashionable accessory, so those who don't need one won't usually know what it was.

"Do that," came a newcomer's voice, "and you'll get kicked out of the rugby team."

All eyes turned to face the newcomer. The bully knew that dark hair, purple eyes, and imperious bearing all too well.

"This isn't corridor 11, _Demon_ _Emperor,_ " said the bully, drawling out the last two words. "You have no power here."

"You're right, I don't," the relatively smaller boy agreed. "But if coach Villeta finds out you've been keeping your asthma a secret from her, your sports days are over."

The girl's eyes widened at the statement. Asthma was rare in this day and age, where the only ones who had it were those who were born with it. How could this boy know what her inhaler was?

"What are you talking about," the bully asked. "I don't have assham."

"Asthma," the dark-haired boy corrected, wearing a bored expression. "You probably won't understand if I explained, so I'll make it simple. You own that," pointing to the inhaler in the bully's hand, "means you have asthma. You have asthma, you can't play sports."

"Of course," he continued, "if that's not yours, then it means you stole it. That means-"

"Okay, I get it!" The bully had been expelled from two other schools prior to his current one. If he got expelled one more time, his father would ship him to some boarding school. With the suits and ties!

"Cool," the boy responded, holding out his hand. "Now hand it over and I never saw you with it."

But the platinum-blonde bully had a different idea. One quick look at the now heavily-breathing girl, he moved to throw her inhaler into the nearby creek,

Only to find his wrist locked in a painful grip by the smaller boy.

"Bad move, Mao," the smaller boy said as he simply plucked the inhaler from the bully's weakened grip before letting him go.

"You'll pay for this!"

"Put it on my tab, then," was his only reply while he watched the bully disappear from sight. Turning back to the girl, his expression quickly shifted from imperious to alarmed when she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. He quickly handed the inhaler back to her.

"Are you alright," he asked after she had taken a few whiffs and her breathing returned to normal.

"Please," she said, "don't tell anyone." It was a strange request from a victim, but, "if my dad finds out―"

"I know," he replied.

She stared at him in surprise, then disappointment. "He didn't think I can make it on my own, did he?"

"What? N-No," the boy stammered, "It's not like that."

With a huff, she stood up then stomped away. "Sure could've fooled me!"

"Wait," he called out and ran to stand in front of her. "Please, I didn't mean anything when I said that. I just wanted to help. You have to believe me."

The girl was ready to dismiss boy's words off the bat, but somehow she knew they were true. His gaze was penetrating, as if appealing to some hidden part of her. Somehow it felt familiar, and then she simply knew ― she could trust this boy. She nodded, and watched in wonder when the boy smiled in relief. Before long they were walking together to their school.

"Home-school?"

The girl nodded. "My dad finally let me out of the house, for once."

"Because of the asthma."

"It used to be much worse. Open a window and I'll be gasping for air in minutes, they said. I don't really remember much of it.

"How about you," she asked in turn. "Why did that boy call you Demon Emperor?"

"Lulu's got a girlfriend!"

They were passing by a kindergarten. "I'll tell Mom!"

"Go ahead, Odie," the boy called out in return. "And I'll tell Mom you were the rat that ate her favorite strawberries."

"That's not FAIR!"

When they're well out of earshot, the girl went to ask, "Lulu?"

"It's Lelouch."

"Oh," the girl responded. She had read about the boy's namesake when she first managed to crack the password to her dad's computer. While it was no longer as historically significant as it used to be ― thanks to the decree of the late Empress Nunnally ― the title still existed, if only to scare disobedient children. "I see."

"Doesn't matter, " the boy shrugged, though his expression had turned sour. "It's just a name."

She wanted to protest. She had been named after a famous doctor in the hopes that it would help her survive her childhood. She wanted to say that her health was steadily improving because of it; but that would mean he was condemned to become a demon, like his namesake.

She hated her sheltered life, then. What _would_ be the right thing to say?

"How about you? What's your name?"

"Kallen," she replied, and was rewarded with a bright smile from the boy.

"My great-grandma had the same name."

Glad she was able to lighten the mood, she tried continuing on this topic. "Was she sick all the time, too?"

The boy shook his head. "No, she was a doctor."

The girl's eyes widened in awe. Could it be possible? "By any chance, was Dr. Kallen Sinclair your great-grandmother?"

"Yeah," the boy replied. "You know about her?"

"Know her," she exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement. "I want to _be_ like her! How she started out at a disadvantage because she was ha half-blood, but managed to overcome them and win freedom for her people; how she decided she wanted to help everybody and became one of the best doctors there ever were ― she's my idol!"

It was the boy's turn to stare at her with awe. From what stories his parents told him about her, he also came to admire his great-grandmother greatly. Until now, however, he was unable to find one to share this with; she was just a name on a textbook as far as his classmates were concerned. This new girl ― a namesake, even ― just changed that, and he was almost afraid it was too good to be true.

"Mom told me a few stories about her," he carefully said, fully expecting to be shot down.

"I'd love to!" The girl burst out, then quickly regained her composure. "I mean, you'll let me hear those stories about her, won't you?"

Before he could answer, they heard the school's bell signaling they only had five minutes to get to their classrooms to start their day, and to go their separate ways. With a sigh of disappointment, the boy turned so that he was face-to-face with the girl.

"Maybe, after school?"

"Okay," the girl replied in resignation, but the brightness in her eyes never wavered. She held out her hand. "I'll see you later, Lelouch."

The boy reached for her hand while replying, "I'll see you later, Kallen."

-.o.O.o.-

 _"So, he's gone."_

 _Kallen stopped just short of closing the door Lelouch just went through to face the one who just spoke. It was C.C._

 _"Yeah," she sighed out. "He deserved it."_

 _"He couldn't have done it without you, from what I heard."_

 _Kallen shrugged. "It was no big deal."_

 _C.C. then struck a thinking pose. "How old were you, again?"_

 _"When I died? A hundred."_

 _"And how many of those were spent waiting for Lelouch to drop by?"_

 _"Fifty," she replied, but then became suspicious. "Why?"_

 _C.C. walked closer to her. "So, half your life?"_

 _"Yeah," she agreed, not noticing that the door had opened wider behind her. "Though I doubt you're here to give me a math le―"_

 _A yelp was the last thing heard from her when C.C. pushed her through the door to rebirth._

 _"We **do** have a script to follow for this, you know?"_

 _C.C. turned her head to face Kallen's husband behind her, and grinned her cheshire cat grin. "Where's the fun in that?"_

-.o.O.o.-

From the passenger seat of her son's car, Josephine Faust watched her grandson make a detour from his usual homeward route. The boy was talking animatedly with a new friend. The new friend ―a girl his age ― listened in rapt attention, her steel-blue eyes shining brightly.

"Should we follow them," asked Naoya. It had been a while since they last visited, and they had hoped to surprise the boy with a ride home.

"No," she replied. "Let's go ahead to your sister's."

 _So, I guess the story's not over yet,_ she thought as she watched the two children move further away from them. _Good luck, Mother_.

* * *

 **A/N:**

This idea popped up because of the rebirth bits in the Kallen chapter, and was partly inspired by the "baby talk" chapter in another fanfic, _Intimacy_ by spanishcallos. I hope she decides to post that chapter as a separate story; it would probably get lots of fans as a non-M fic.

So, I was thinking of making Clovis Kallen's dad, since he does tend to go overboard when things go out of his control, but with a overprotective side that would never want his little princess out of his sight. Odie is Odysseus (sp?). Everybody's essentially the same, but grew up with a different set of circumstances.

While it could be fun exploring a reborn KaLulu dynamic, I don't have any plans of expanding this universe at present. Feel free to run rampant with it, though.

That's it from me for a while. Hope you guys enjoyed.

~ryder77


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